Monday, November 14, 2011

My Go-To Smoothie

My girlfriend asked me how I make my daily smoothie. I realized I never posted it here, only in a guest blog I wrote for Suzzie V. Here's the scoop:

Several years back when I decided to change my eating habits, I made a BIG purchase. I bought a VitaMix blender. No doubt about it, it was expensive and out of my budget. However, there has barely been a day I haven't used it. (And I highly recommend it.)

This is more a formula than a recipe because seasons change and so do the available fruits. I use what I can from local farms, and I supplement with frozen fruit, if necessary.

I always start with a little water in the bottom of the blender. I measure in one to two tablespoons ground flax seed and some sweetener. Lately, I have been using one packet of stevia from the NuStevia company. You might not choose to use a sweetener since fruit is typically already sweet, or you may prefer sugar, but a sweetener helps bring out the flavor and natural sweetness of the fruit.

I add a ripe banana for creaminess and flavor, and I never leave the banana out. After that, the fun begins. This morning, I used two different types of plums and a handful of raspberries. Yesterday was half an orange and about 20 red grapes. The day before was mango and a fig. As you can see, no two smoothies are ever alike in my kitchen.

Finally, I toss in six ice cubes and blend for 30 seconds on high speed. This "recipe" serves two, my husband and myself. Since it is mostly fruit, it is not our entire breakfast, but it is the perfect way to start the day.

Daily Smoothie

1/3 cup water
1 to 2 tablespoons ground flax seed, as desired
Sweetener, as desired
1 ripe banana, cut into chunks
Any other fresh or frozen fruit, as much as you'd like
6 ice cubes

Place all ingredients in blender container. Blend on high speed for 30 seconds. Pour into two glasses and serve. Each serving has 1 point plus for Weight Watchers and the calories vary depending on the sweetener and fruits used.

A southern California gal, married with four children and a dog... belief in a healthy lifestyle... "foodie" who loves cooking and all things food-related...
overwhelming desire to share this passion with friends, old and new.